The Gorge of Horoclacia
by Bailey Elizabeth Parker
Summary: Arthur must go on a quest to the cursed Gorge of Horoclacia. The curse is strong enough to curse the Druids. Merlin must convince Arthur to call off the quest. Can Merlin convince Arthur? Or will he have to try and break the curse? This is my first fan-fic, so please bear with me! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

I saw her sitting in a tree, her brown, curly hair glowing red in the noonday sun. She just sat there, looking off into the distance. I saw her eyes glow. I fall to the ground. I can't move. I struggle, trying to break my invisible bonds.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Emrys." She says, her sweet voice ringing in my ears. She jumps off the branch. "Who are you?" I ask. The girl smiles. "I'm Astrid." "What do you want with me?" "I don't want anything. I'm here to warn you." She incants and her eyes glow.

I sit up. "Arthur is getting ready to go on a quest. Am I correct?" "Yeah." I answer, nodding. "To the Gorge of Horoclacia?" Again, I nod. "Not much is known about it. To Camelot, anyway. However, Druids fear the place. There is a curse on the place that even Druids can fall prey to. Arthur must not go there. Even though he still shuns the Old Religion, no one should have to suffer through that curse. We are showing him kindness and mercy, however, if he ignores our warning, and he is cursed, we will not help him or you, Emrys. As his manservant and friend, we trust you to warn the King. For we fear if he is cursed, he will not be able to fulfill his destiny."

I shake my head. "It's prophecy, Astrid. How can that happen?" "Prophecy maybe, but this curse is more powerful than you, dare I say, more powerful than Morgana."

More powerful than Morgana? How? "Go, Emrys. Warn Arthur."

Astrid walks away.

I walk into Arthur's chambers. "Merlin." He says. "Today we journey to the Gorge." I chuckle nervously. Arthur groans. "What is it now, Merlin?" "Gaius told me that the Gorge of Horoclacia is home to a powerful curse that even the Druids can fall prey to."

Arthur shakes his head. "I don't care for Gaius's bedtime stories, Merlin." "They're not bedtime stories. It's in the books." "Books as in a book of nursery rhymes?" "Ha ha. This is serious, Arthur. If this curse can affect the Druids, imagine what it'll do to you." "Fetch my shirt, would you?"

I grab Arthur's shirt and put it on him. "I think you should call off the quest." "My knights have been training for weeks, Merlin. I can't put them through all that hard work for nothing."

I laugh. "Go ahead, get cursed, get the whole kingdom cursed, see what happens. Once again, I would've been right." Arthur scoffs. I grab his chain mail and help him put it on. "I'm sorry, Merlin, but after the past few years you've hardly ever been right."

_Have I now?_

"We'll depart at dawn tomorrow." Arthur says. "And that's final." I nod. "Of course, sire." I bow and leave the room.


	2. Chapter 2

I walk into Arthur's chambers. "Merlin." Arthur greets, as usual. "You're not due till dinner." "I know. But I really think you should call off the quest." "Another one of your funny feelings?" He asks. I nod. "Yes, but those are pretty good, yeah?" I smile. Arthur gives me a look. I take a step back.

"Yes, anyway, Arthur, I'm serious. I really think you should call off the quest." "Merlin, who's the King of Camelot here?" "You are." I say routinely, like a kindergartener reciting the rules. "Right. I outrank you." "Yes you do, sire, but as your manservant, I feel like I'm a…fatherly figure." I smile. "I'm older than you, Merlin."

I nod, pursing my lips. "I read a bit about the curse at the Gorge, and the curse is so powerful not even _Morgana_ could break it." "Morgana, huh?" Arthur says. "Yeah. Imagine if _you_ went there and got cursed, a mere mortal." I bite my lip as Arthur glares at me.

"The Gorge is a part of our land. If there's magic there, I need to find it and stop it." He says. "And do you remember all the people who were caught using in Camelot itself?" Arthur glares again. I shrug. "It's true!" Arthur shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, but the quest is still on." I murmur a curse under my breath. "Now go to the tavern or something." He says with a wave of his hand.

The tavern. Of course. The tavern! He'll never let me live that down, will he?

"Didn't work, Gaius." I say, sitting down. "Did you really try? Or do you want to convince me to let you use magic?" Gaius remarks wittily. "So is that a yes on the magic?" I ask, grinning like a young girl begging her father for a new dress.

Gaius sighs. "Be careful. Heaven knows what'll happen if you get caught." "When am I not careful?" I ask. Gaius shoots me a look. I bite my lip. "So how do I break that curse?" "It won't be easy. It's been sitting there, gaining power for hundreds of years. I fear not even you will be able to break it." "You know, Gaius. I'm sensing a pattern. You tell me I'm the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the Earth and you tell me even my magic won't break the thing with the name no one can pronounce!"

"Merlin, I'm being serious. Besides, those who their magic for evil are fueled by hatred, making it much more powerful." "I think this is your worst lecture yet." I reply with a smirk. "What I'm saying is that you have to believe in yourself, Merlin. Only then can your magic be at its fullest."

I nod. "Right." I look at the clock. "It's time for Arthur's dinner." I say, getting up and walking out the door. "Yours will be ready when you get back." Gaius yells. "All right!" I yell back.

At dawn, we were getting ready to depart. Well, _I_ was getting ready to depart. They got dressed, I readied the horses.

_You have to believe in yourself, Merlin. Only then can your magic be at its fullest._

All right. Time to journey to an unmapped land where a 500-year-old curse lives that's more powerful than Morgana and could possibly kill us all.

No pressure.


End file.
